Federal Judge: NYC’s Stop-And-Frisk Policy Violates Constitution

People hold signs during a silent march to end the “stop-and-frisk” program in New York, Sunday, June 17, 2012. Thousands of protesters from civil rights groups walked down New York City’s Fifth Avenue in total silence on Sunday as they marched in defiance of “stop-and-frisk” tactics employed by city police. (Seth Wenig/AP)

A federal judge in New York has issued a decision that calls for a federal monitor of the New York City Police Department, to prevent the department from violating the civil rights of residents.

The judge, Shira Scheindlin, says New York City police officers for years have been systematically stopping innocent people on the street.

She says the stop-and-frisk actions, which increased over the last decade — even as crime declined — violate both the 4th and 14th amendments of the Constitution.